diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/init.go b/cmd/ipfs/init.go
index 77f3fb9f031..839ee2c9d1b 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/init.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/init.go
@@ -32,9 +32,13 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func initCmd(c *commander.Command, inp []string) error {
-	_, err := os.Lstat(config.DefaultConfigFilePath)
+	filename, err := config.Filename(config.DefaultConfigFilePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.New("Couldn't get home directory path")
+	}
+	fi, err := os.Lstat(filename)
 	force := c.Flag.Lookup("f").Value.Get().(bool)
-	if err != nil && !force {
+	if fi != nil || (err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err)) && !force {
 		return errors.New("ipfs configuration file already exists!\nReinitializing would overwrite your keys.\n(use -f to force overwrite)")
 	}
 	cfg := new(config.Config)
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index b80ff1a2c49..76088da1f0e 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -34,12 +34,13 @@ type Config struct {
 	Peers     []*SavedPeer
 }
 
-var DefaultConfigFilePath = "~/.go-ipfs/config"
-var DefaultConfigFile = `{
+const DefaultPathRoot = "~/.go-ipfs"
+const DefaultConfigFilePath = DefaultPathRoot + "/config"
+const DefaultConfigFile = `{
   "identity": {},
   "datastore": {
     "type": "leveldb",
-    "path": "~/.go-ipfs/datastore"
+    "path": "` + DefaultPathRoot + `/datastore"
   }
 }
 `
diff --git a/config/serialize.go b/config/serialize.go
index bf495a2603d..647e19e3305 100644
--- a/config/serialize.go
+++ b/config/serialize.go
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ func ReadConfigFile(filename string, cfg interface{}) error {
 
 // WriteConfigFile writes the config from `cfg` into `filename`.
 func WriteConfigFile(filename string, cfg interface{}) error {
+	err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(filename), 0775)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	f, err := os.Create(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err